HISTORY IS CONSTANT . IT GOES ON
ALL THE TIME . IT IS RECORDED IN MANY WAYS , BY WRITTEN OR
PRINTED WORD , BY MEMORIES WHICH EVENTUALLY FADE AWAY . IT IS
RECORDED IN THE FACE OF A PERSON , OR IN THE WHOLE FORM OF THE
FACE OF A COMMUNITY ... AN TODAY IS THE RESULT OF READING AND
ALSO CONVERING WITH PERSONS WITH DIRECT OR TRANSPLANTED MEMORIES.

THE HISTORY OF THIS COMMUNITY
COULD BEGIN WITH THE STORY OF THE SEAS , THE GLACIER AGE , OR THE
STORY OF THE WINDS THAT BROUGHT THE DUST FROM DESERTS AFAR .
EITHER OF THOSE , ACCORDING TO SOME HISTORIANS, COULD HAVE HELPED
CREATE WHAT IS NOW CROWLEY'S RIDGE , ON WHICH THIS COMMUNITY IS
LOCATED.

THERE WAS , AND HAD TO BE , A
BEGINNING. SO , LET'S BEGIN WITH THE INDIANS , SIMPLY BECAUSE
THAT'S WHERE MY IMAGE OF OLD BETHEL BEGINS. SINCE I CONCUR IN
THAT AN IMAGE OUGHT TO BE BASED ON FACTS , HERE ARE A FEW THINGS
GLEANED FROM HISTORY ... HERE AND THERE.

1541-FORTY SPANIARDS
(DESOTO'S SCOUTS) CROSSED THE "RIDGE", LATER NAMED
CROWLEY'S RIDGE , LOOKING FOR GOLD AND TRADING , SPANISH TRINKETS
TO THE DELAWARES FOR FOOD ITEMS.

1668 - FOUR FRENCHMEN
CROSSED THE RIDGE NEAR WALCOTT AND TRADED FRENCH JEWELRY TO THE
SHAWNEES FOR FURS , TOBACCO AND CLAY PIPES .

1804 - DANIEL BOONE AND
FORMER GOVENOR BOGG OF MISSOURI VISTED THE OSAGES NEAR LORADO.

1820 - BENJAMIN AND SAMUEL
CROWLEY , NATIVE KENTUCKIANS , MOVED TO THE RIDGE , LATER TO BE
NAMED CROWLEY'S RIDGE , THE CROWLEYS HAD COME BY WAY OF OLD
DAVIDSONVILLE IN LAWRENCE COUNTY WHERE THEY HAD LIVED FOR A SHORT
TIME.

1824 - THREE HUNDRED EASTERN
CHEROKEES CROSSED THE RIDGE AND CAMPED WITH LOCAL INDIANS.

1828 - A TREATY WAS MADE ;
AND THE SHAWNEE , OSAGES , DELAWARES , AND CHEROKEES EXCEPT FOR A
FEW WHO REMAINED FOR SOME FEW YEARS , WERE PUSHED WESTWARD TO
OKLAHOMA RESERVATIONS .

EARLY FIELD NOTES SHOW THAT
THERE WAS A DELAWARE INDIAN VILLIAGE ON THE SITE THAT WAS LATER
TO BECOME GAINESVILLE. OTHER HISTORY AND LEGENDS TELL OF THE
INDIAN TRIBES OF THE AREA AND ALL ARE BASIC TO MY IMAGE OF THIS
COMMUNITY.

SO, THE INDIANS WERE A PART OF
THE BEGINNING. THEY LIVED , ROAMED AND HUNTED IN GREENE COUNTY
INCLUDING THIS AREA . THE SPANIARDS CAME FOR GOLD AND THE
FRENCHMEN CAME FOR FURS . THEN CAME OUR FIRST PILGRIMS IN THE
YEAR OF 1607 ON THE MAYFLOWER AND LANDED AT PLYMOUTH ROCK. THIS
GROUP WAS FOLLOWED BY MANY OTHER GROUPS OF PILGRIMS , ALL SEEKING
RELIGIOUS FREEDOM.

THE COLONISTS DECLARED THEIR
INDEPENDENCE FROM ENGLAND ON JULY 4, 1776 , THEN IN 1789 A
CONSTITUTION BINDING THE COLONIES INTO WHAT WAS THE UNITED STATES
WAS ADOPTED . FROM THIS DATE FORWARD OUR CITIZENS BEGAN TO ADOPT
LAWS TO CONTROL THE LAWLESS AND ADOPT OTHER GOVERMENTAL ACTIONS
INTENDED TO HELP PLAN AND GOVERN OUR GROWTH . THESE ARE BUT A FEW
FACTS; HERE ARE OTHERS;

1803 - THE UNITED STATES
PURCHASED THE LOUISIANA TERRITORY.

1813 - "ARKANSAS"
WAS ATTACHED TO MISSOURI AS ONE COUNTY.

1815 - LAWRENCE COUNTY WAS
CREATED , EMBRACING GREENE AND OTHERS THAT WERE CREATED LATER.

1819 - ARKANSAS COUNTY WAS
DETACHED FROM MISSOURI AND BECAME ARKANSAS TERRITORY.

1815 - LAWRENCE COUNTY WAS
CREATED , EMBRACING GREENE AND OTHERS THAT WERE CREATED LATER.

1819 - ARKANSAS COUNTY WAS
DETACHED FROM MISSOURI AND BECAME ARKANSAS TERRITORY .

1832 - CROWLEY WAS GRANTED A
POSTOFFICE . IT WAS ESTABLISHED IN THE CROWLEYS HOME TO SERVE THE
CROWLEY'S RIDGE AREA . THE NAME OF CROWLEY LATER CHANGED TO
WALCOTT.

1833 - THE ARKANSAS
TERRITORIAL LEGISLATIVE ENACTMENT CREATING GREEN (MISSPELLED)
LATER NAMED IN HONOR OF NATHANIAL GREENE , GREENE COUNTY . THIS
WAS APPROVED NOVEMBER 5 BY GOVERNOR JOHN POPE .

1834 - CROWLEY WAS
DESIGNATED THE TEMPORARY SEAT OF JUSTICE FOR GREENE COUNTY .

1835 - FIRST
"PERMANENT" OFFICIAL COUNTY SEAT OF GREENE COUNTY WAS
ESTABLISHED AT PARIS , ABOUT FIVE MILES NORTHEAST OF GAINESVILLE
, NEAR TO THE CENTER OF THE THEN EXISTING GREENE COUNTY .

1836 - ARKANSAS TERRITORY
WAS ADMITTED TO THE UNION AS A STATE.

1840 - THE JUDICIAL SEAT OF
GREENE COUNTY WAS MOVED FROM PARIS TO GAINESVILLE.

1850 THRU 1870 - FOUND
CROWLEY'S RIDGE AND GREENE COUNTY GROWING IN POPULATION , AS
FAMILIES MOVED HERE FROM VIRGINIA , KENTUCKY , TENNESSEE,
MISSISSIPPI AND A FEW FROM ILLINOIS AND MISSOURI.

1873 - CLAYTON COUNTY ,
LATER OFFICIALLY RENAMED CLAY , WAS CREATED OUT OF TERRITORY
TAKEN FROM GREENE AND RANDOLPH COUNTIES.

1882 - IS AN IMPORTANT
HISTORICAL YEAR FOR OUR AREA ; THAT'S WHEN THE RAILROADS WERE
BUILT THROUGH OUR COUNTY . FIRST THE ST. LOUIS IRON MOUNTAIN
RAILWAY CO. NOW CALLED THE MISSOURI PACIFIC , BUILT A RAILROAD
THROUGH GAINESVILLE AND ESTABLISHED A STATION CALLED PARMLEY
ABOUT 8 MILES SOUTH OF GAINESVILLE.

1882 - THIS YEAR ALSO
BROUGHT THE ST. LOUIS , ARKANSAS AND TEXAS RAILWAY CO., NOW
CALLED THE COTTON BELT , THROUGH OUR COUNTY . IT CROSSED THE
MISSOURI PACIFIC TRACKS ABOUT 1500 FEET SOUTH OF PARMLEY WHERE IT
BUILT A STATION AND NAMED IT THE "CROSSING" A SINGLE
NAME , PARAGOULD , WHICH WAS COINED FROM THE SURNAMES OF THE
BUILDERS OF THE TWO RAILROADS J.W. PARAMORE AND JAY GOULD AND
INCORPORATED THE NEW CITY ON MARCH 3RD , 1883 .

1884 - THE COUNTY SEAT OF
GOVERMENT WAS REMOVED FROM GAINESVILLE TO PARAGOULD BY A
COUNTY-WIDE VOTE OF 943 TO 737 IN AN ELECTION HELD ON THE FIRST
MONDAY IN SEPTEMBER , 1884 .THE COUNTY COURT ORDERED ON OCTOBER
6TH , 1884 THAT THE SAFE AND RECORDS BE MOVED THE FOLLOWING WEEK.